New Hampshire party chairman would lead nationwide effort to strengthen state parties

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Updated: 10:52 PM EST Feb 18, 2017

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WEBVTT A MINNESOTACONGRESSMAN.WMUR'S ADAM SEXTON HAS MORE ONHIS DECISION.REPORTER: RAY BUCKLEY IS BOWINGOUT OF THE RACE FOR DEMOCRATICNATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BUTDON'T CALL IT A DEFEAT.HE SAYS THE IDEAS HE CAMPAIGNEDON ARE GOING TO WIN.>> WHAT WE DO HERE IN NEWHAMPSHIRE IS GOING TO SPREADLIKE WILDFIRE ALL ACROSS THECOUNTRY. REPORTER: IN THE RACE TO LEADTHE DNC BUCKLEY IS THROWING HIS, SUPPORT TO CONGRESSMAN KEITHELLISON, WHO HE SAYS IS ADOPTINGHIS PACKAGE OF TOP-DOWN REFORMS,LIKE SPREADING DNC WEALTH TO THESTATE PARTIES AND ORGANIZING INALL 50 STATES.>> I HAVE 100% CONFIDENCE THATWITH KEITH ELLISON AS OUR CHAIRTHAT OUR PARTY IS GOING TO, BECOME MUCH MORE ACCOUNTABLE,LESS WASHINGTONCENTRIC, AND THATTHE GRASSROOTS WILL BE THE TOPPRIORITY OF THE DEMOCRATICNATIONAL COMMITTEE. REPORTER: AT THE OUTSET OF THERACE LOCAL OBSERVERS SAW, BUCKLEY'S CANDIDACY AS APOTENTIAL WIN-WIN, VICTORY WOULDPUT HIM IN CHARGE BUT EVEN IF HECAME UP SHORT HE COULD BUILDPOWER WITHIN THE PARTY ANDFORTIFY NEW HAMPSHIRE'S FIRST INTHE NATION STANDING.WHILE IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT IF ANYDEAL HAS BEEN MADE BUCKLEY SEEMS, SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS OFHIS CAMPAIGN.>> I THINK THAT CONGRESSMANELLISON IS VERY MUCH A SUPPORTEROF NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND I'LL BETHERE TO MAKE SURE HE IS.

In a potential game-changer in the race for Democratic National Party chairman, New Hampshire’s Raymond Buckley has dropped out of the race and has endorsed U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, WMUR.com has learned.

Since the longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party chairman announced his candidacy for the national post in November, he has attracted enough support among rank-and-file DNC members that his endorsement is expected to give Ellison an extra boost to edge close to – if not attain -- the 224-vote threshold necessary to win the chairmanship.

Buckley confirmed Saturday that as a result of his decision, he will run for a sixth term as state party chairman, a post he has held since 2007.

The 447 members of the Democratic National Committee will meet in Atlanta on Friday to elect a successor to interim chairman Donna Brazile. Buckley’s exit from the race leaves nine candidates in the field, with Ellison and former Obama administration Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez as the front-runners.

Ellison said that with Buckley’s support, he expects to have “a successful outcome” in Atlanta. He said he has asked Buckley “to lead our effort to provide the support and resources the state parties need in a new and innovative 57-state strategy,” referring to the 50 states plus six U.S. territories and Democrats Abroad.

It was immediately unclear what title Buckley would have under Ellison’s leadership. The Manchester man is already a vice chairman of the national party by virtue of his role as president of the DNC-affiliated Association of State Democratic Chairs – a post in which he is now serving his fourth term. But there has been speculation that Buckley would head party operations in a deal with Ellison.

When Buckley announced his candidacy, he wrote in an email to DNC members that he had received encouragement from some Democrats to consider a partnership arrangement under which one candidate would be the “face” of the party who would be “deeply involved in messaging” and the other would focus on “nuts and bolts.”

In an interview, Buckley said of his decision, “There have been discussions among all the candidates for weeks, and it came down to who I felt was best able to reform the DNC and strengthen the state parties. This give us the best opportunity to make that happen.”

During his campaign, Buckley focused on strengthening state – and even county -- Democratic parties as a way to build the national party, and on reforming the DNC.

“Now, many candidates have spoken about these issues, but Keith’s commitment to the states and to a transparent and accountable DNC has stood out,” Buckley said. “He knows elections are not won and lost in the (Washington) beltway, but on the ground across the country.

“His plan, in fact, shared many of the same ideas and principles as my own. We both believe in investing in all 50 states, Democrats Abroad, and the territories, providing support and resources to help state parties succeed, and organizing in every county across this great country.”

Buckley said that he and Ellison “both have a track record of winning elections. While it was a tremendous honor to run for DNC chair over the past few months, I am proud to throw my support behind Keith so we can ensure that the next chair of the DNC is dedicated to investing in and strengthening state parties and ensuring that the DNC is an accountable organization. As I've talked to the DNC membership, it is clear Keith has widespread support, and I know as our next DNC chair, Keith will successfully unite and grow our party.”

Ellison, the first Muslim-American elected to Congress, has been endorsed by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, as well as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio. He also has a host of union endorsements, including the AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers. And on Friday he was backed by National Education Association (NEA) and State Employees International Union (SEIU).

The move by Buckley is expected to accelerate support among DNC members for Ellison, who is viewed by reliable vote counters as now inching close to securing the majority. National media outlets have been speculating that Buckley could serve as the kingmaker because of his many allies in the DNC.

Ellison praised Buckley’s leadership of New Hampshire Democrats in welcoming his endorsement.

“There is no better example of a strong state party than the New Hampshire Democratic Party, and we have Ray Buckley to thank for that,” Ellison said in a statement provided to WMUR.com.

“Democrats in the Granite State have an incredible track record, winning 11 out of the last 13 statewide elections. That’s because of the decades of work by Ray, who believes, like I do, that the Democratic Party must strengthen and empower our state and local parties.”

Ellison said DNC members want to “rebuild the party from the grassroots up. That is why I am proud to have Ray’s support. The model that Ray has built in New Hampshire and his work as the president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs is something that we need as we rebuild all 57 state parties.”

“Because in this fight against Donald Trump and Republican-controlled states, we need every state party firing on all cylinders,” Ellison said. “That’s how we take our country back, and I cannot be more proud to have Ray Buckley by my side in this fight.”

Perez’s top endorsements include Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and former Attorney General Eric Holder. He also has organized labor backing from unions representing carpenters, longshoremen, bricklayers and pipefitters, as well the International Association of Fire Fighters, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the United Farm Workers.

The Ellison-Perez contest has been portrayed as a reflection of the Clinton-Sanders race for the Democratic presidential nomination, with Perez the favorite of the party establishment and Ellison the favorite of the insurgent, progressive, Sanders wing of the party. But Buckley’s endorsement provides an important member of the party establishment to Ellison’s list.

Also running for DNC chairman are Sally Boynton Brown, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party; Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana; Robert Vinson Brannum, chair of the veterans’ committee of the NAACP’s Washington, D.C., branch; Jehmu Greene, a Texas political strategist and former “Rock the Vote” president; Peter Peckarsky, a Wisconsin attorney; Jaime Harrison, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party; and Sam Ronan, an Air Force veteran and activist from Ohio.

Unless more candidates drop out, there are expected to be numerous ballots held before one person secures the majority. And it will be an open vote, with each member required to sign his or her ballots.

There are 116 state party chairmen and vice chairmen in the ASDC, and all are members of the DNC, as are 34 former state chairs and vice chairs.

As a candidate, Buckley announced endorsements from eight DNC members. They included Buckley’s four fellow New Hampshire members: NHDP first vice chairman and state Sen. Martha Fuller Clark; Democratic National Committeeman William Shaheen; Democratic National Committeewoman Kathy Sullivan; and Joanne Dowdell, an at-large DNC member.

Buckley was also publicly endorsed by two DNC members from California, Aleita Huguenin and Evan Low; and DNC members Babs Siperstein of New Jersey and Penny Gerber of Pennsylvania.

Whether Buckley’s supporters will now back Ellison remains to be seen.

Buckley has stressed in his campaign appearances that the New Hampshire Democratic Party bucked the GOP tide in 2016.

Democrat Colin Van Ostern was defeated in the governor’s race by Republican Chris Sununu and Democrats remain in the minority in the House, Senate and on the Executive Council.

But it was a much different story in the federal elections. Clinton won New Hampshire in the presidential contest, and Democrats picked up a U.S. Senate seat with Gov. Maggie Hassan’s victory over Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte as well as U.S. House seat with Rep. Carol Shea-Porter’s win over incumbent Republican Rep. Frank Guinta.

As a result, Democrats occupy all four seats in the New Hampshire congressional delegation for the first time. And for the first time, all four members are women.

In his campaign for chairman, Buckley released a 15-point plan that calls for reforming the operations of the DNC and strengthening state parties through grants from the DNC and staff development and training.

“Elections are won in the towns and cities across the country, not in Washington, D.C.,” Buckley’s plan said.

Buckley earned headlines and an appearance on the Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends” program last week after telling his fellow Democrats at a candidates’ forum held in Baltimore to “Grow up!”

He issued the admonition because, he said, during the presidential campaign, the party – including nominee Clinton -- was fixated with calling Donald Trump offensive rather than focusing on its own economic message and appealing to middle-class voters.

At the forum, Buckley said: “Telling the voters that, ‘Oh, our opponent is offensive’ – when you’re worrying about your damn paycheck, you’re worrying about your job, you’re worrying about where you’re going to live, whether your kids are ever going to go to school – they don’t really give a crap if the president is an insult dog.

“The reality is, we did not offer a positive message to anyone that I’m related to. We did not offer a message to my neighbors. We did not offer a message to the people in Indiana or Ohio or Pennsylvania or Kentucky. What we did was we said, ‘How offensive.’

“Grow up! That’s not reality for most of America,” Buckley said.

Talking about his forum comments on “Fox and Friends,” Buckley charged that Clinton’s campaign “really didn’t address the economic issues that many Americans are still suffering under.”

Buckley said that the economy improved during Barack Obama’s presidency, “but it wasn’t good enough, and people still had fears and wanted to hear that things were going to get better. And that anxiety was never addressed.”

He said that the party’s presidential nominee in 2020 must “listen more to the grassroots than to high-paid consultants. I really think that was a major problem within our party with the DNC and our candidates up and down the ticket.”